Flying in Hawaii near Kona

[G-Man]

I am fortunate to visit Hawaii in mid-June on the Big Island near Kona. I would love to do a GA flight: rent a 172/182 with a CFI to fly around and see the sights.

Nearest airports are PHKO Kona International, PHMU Waimea-Kohala, and PHUP Upolu. Quick research doesn't indicate much activity at the latter two.

I'm PPL but would bring a CFI since we just want an hour or so. I'm ~200 with rear passengers at 130 and 115 pounds, so a 172 could be close to gross. Maybe a 182 is better?

Any suggestions of great places to fly with? Places to avoid?
(POA search showed nothing for this area.) Thanks!

 

[Ghery]

I've flown with Tropicbird out of Kona three times. My wife and I have gone together with a CFI on two of those trips. C-172 with no trouble. Just remember that flying in Hawaii is EXPENSIVE. I paid $200/hour dual for a 172 in 2007 the last time I flew there. That was a very expensive circumnavigation of the island. The advantage is that you can go where you want, rather than where a tour ride goes. Want to circle the volcano a few times? No problem. Just remember that the big island is big. 2 1/2 hours to go clear around the island in a 172. We shot a T&G in Hilo the first time and that made it a XC flight (needed the hours for my IR at the time). It's over 50 nm across the island.

Have fun. Taking the CFI along is something I've always done when flying in Hawaii. You save the cost of the checkout. The CFI makes a great tour guide. And, I have the CFI handle the radio as he can pronounce the reporting points.

 

[G-Man]

Thanks, Ghery! I like your idea of the T&G for the XC.
Tropicbird seems to have a good setup offering "Island Adventure" flights with wet rental, CFI/guide, up to an hour of ground briefing, Bose headsets, etc.
And, yes - pricey! $295 hourly for a 180hp C172M and $350 hourly for a Cessna 182P. http://tropicbirdflightservice.com/training/?p=Prices

 

[G-Man]

A long overdue very positive Pirep here: Yes, I got to fly in Kona with TropicBird and was impressed with their program.

The aircraft was terrific. A Cessna 172M with 180-hp and constant-speed prop. Very nicely maintained, good interior and exterior. Flew very nicely. (Their C182 is gone.)

Good instructor/tour guide. Keith is a senior pilot for one of the intra-island carriers. He and owner Mike Lauro gave a very thorough briefing to me and a good introduction to my passenger. Keith pointed out a lot of sights.

At one point, Keith took the flight controls. Good idea - he knows the terrain very well and brought us closer to the cliffs and valleys than I would have. I got to focus on looking out the window and enjoying terrific, amazing views of the volcanic Hawaiian islands. Flying over the edge of the cliffs and seeing the 800-foot drop from that view was terrific!

It was also helpful to have Keith along to manage the airspace and especially to pronounce the waypoints. Lots of helicopter tour traffic, but they all know their local rules so no issues.

Weather was perfect. Clear skies, a few scenic clouds. No bumps at all, which made my passenger very happy. It was really neat flying along the ocean below the cliff tops!

It was expensive and worth it. I would definitely fly with TropicBird again and recommend them.







Edit: Corrected CFI's mis-remembered name to Keith. My apologies!

 

[Everskyward]

That middle photo is amazing! The waterfalls!

 

[ainokea]

I flew with Tropicbird recently. Big Island aerial tour is a must for pilots! The lava flow going into the ocean and the Waipio Valley will blow your mind. It's about 2.5 hours on the hobbs to go around the entire island. The price is about the same as a helicopter tour but you do all the flying!